Last night I did my Kempo X workout. Like I said yesterday it is currently my favorite cardio workout in the P90X program, and I pushed myself as much as I could while doing it. I truly feel that I gave it my all, and I can't wait to see the results of efforts in the future. Also, I am very happy with myself that I was able to keep up with the pace that the video has, and I didn't even pause it once to catch my breath. I call that an achievement!
Today is also weight in day. Today feels like a double edge sword, because on one hand you want to see your how much weight you have lost since you started, but on the other hand you don't want to fall short of your expectations. That being said my current weight this morning is 269.2 lbs. I started the program weighing at 280 lbs, so at the moment that is a 10.8 lbs weight loss. I am very happy with that.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Motivation
I am doing my P90X journey alone. There are many reasons why I am doing it, but it all boils down that I want to be healthy. At the moment in my life there is support of any kind. I know it sounds sad and pitiful, but it is all my fault and I will live with it.
Times like what I am going through is when I look for sources of inspiration. The kind of inspiration that I look for is people's stories of overcoming their weaknesses and emerging victories in attaining their goals. Since I am trying to achieve a healthier and fit lifestyle, it is only fitting that I would look for motivation in that category.
Who is to look for inspiration than Tony Horton, creator of P90X. He is a very goofy, well spoken, and extremely motivated man. The kind that makes you want to look up to them and be a source of inspiration. He is a video that I found that gave me inspiration this morning.
Times like what I am going through is when I look for sources of inspiration. The kind of inspiration that I look for is people's stories of overcoming their weaknesses and emerging victories in attaining their goals. Since I am trying to achieve a healthier and fit lifestyle, it is only fitting that I would look for motivation in that category.
Who is to look for inspiration than Tony Horton, creator of P90X. He is a very goofy, well spoken, and extremely motivated man. The kind that makes you want to look up to them and be a source of inspiration. He is a video that I found that gave me inspiration this morning.
Cottage Cheese
While reading the P90X nutrition guide and browsing the Internet for healthy alternatives I have always been led back to cottage cheese. It is recommended as a great source of protein, and a very healthy choice for breakfast. Either by eating it on its own, or in conjunction with fruits. Also it is a highly recommended alternative choice for sour cream.
Well this morning I tried cottage cheese for the first time in my life. I ate a cup of cottage cheese with a cup of strawberries, and I pleasantly surprised. It was very delicious, and it went perfectly with the strawberries. Very glad that I did my research and tried this very healthy food.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Day 13 - Legs & Back, and Ab Ripper X
As I said yesterday I was not able to do my Legs & Back workout on Thursday, because I was feeling a bit under the weather. So last night I did that workout, and let me tell it can kick my ass royally when I push myself to the max. I still have to take breaks in between exercises to bring my heart rate down and to catch my breath, but I am improving. I just keep telling myself that I will be able to do these exercises as they were intended and be able to keep up with the videos in real time.
Last night I attempted to perform the pull ups in the fashion that is demonstrated in this video. I definitely saw that my body was working harder doing them this way, and I made sure that my upper body was doing most of the work.
Tonight I will be doing Kempo X. This workout is slowly becoming one of my favorite cardio intensive type of workouts. I can't wait to start on it!
Last night I attempted to perform the pull ups in the fashion that is demonstrated in this video. I definitely saw that my body was working harder doing them this way, and I made sure that my upper body was doing most of the work.
Tonight I will be doing Kempo X. This workout is slowly becoming one of my favorite cardio intensive type of workouts. I can't wait to start on it!
Thinking Nutrition
As I am getting ready to go into week 3 of my P90X journey I am becoming more aware of what I am placing into my body. I assume this is a normal part of the journey as we discover what our bodies really need, and what really is junk and unnecessary for our bodies. This realization makes me crave for more information. What should I be really eating? How much should I be eating? How often? I have been having way to many questions recently, and so I have been trying to answer them one by one.
When I was younger and I was trying to get fit in order to get into the US NAVY I underwent the Atkin's diet. Maybe because I was young or whatever the real reason, I did not grasp the important implications that the diet was only a temporary solution. The body can't sustain itself on a healthy level with just protein. It needs a considerable amount of carbs, vitamins, good fat, etc. that the Atkin's diet just simply does not provide.
Currently I am on Phase 1 of the P90X Nutrition Plan, and it resembles the Atkin's diet on many aspects. But one major aspect stands on its own, and that is that there is a continuation to the nutrition plan. Meaning that there is a Phase 2 and 3 to the plan which teaches how to really take care of your body as you undergo your transformation. And if you are considering in maintaining your new figure at the end of 90 days, then the phase 3 of the plan fits for your new life. You can continue on the "Athlete Diet", as phase 3 is normally called, for as long as you continue doing P90X and similar workout programs that demand that your body continue to be in peak shape physically and nutritionally.
I found this video very interesting and applicable to this case. It is from Melissa Costello, who is Tony Horton's Chef. Tony being the creator of the P90X workout program.
When I was younger and I was trying to get fit in order to get into the US NAVY I underwent the Atkin's diet. Maybe because I was young or whatever the real reason, I did not grasp the important implications that the diet was only a temporary solution. The body can't sustain itself on a healthy level with just protein. It needs a considerable amount of carbs, vitamins, good fat, etc. that the Atkin's diet just simply does not provide.
Currently I am on Phase 1 of the P90X Nutrition Plan, and it resembles the Atkin's diet on many aspects. But one major aspect stands on its own, and that is that there is a continuation to the nutrition plan. Meaning that there is a Phase 2 and 3 to the plan which teaches how to really take care of your body as you undergo your transformation. And if you are considering in maintaining your new figure at the end of 90 days, then the phase 3 of the plan fits for your new life. You can continue on the "Athlete Diet", as phase 3 is normally called, for as long as you continue doing P90X and similar workout programs that demand that your body continue to be in peak shape physically and nutritionally.
I found this video very interesting and applicable to this case. It is from Melissa Costello, who is Tony Horton's Chef. Tony being the creator of the P90X workout program.
Friday, February 10, 2012
My wish list is getting huge!
Well it finally happened. Last night I was not able to perform my scheduled workout, because I was feeling extremely horrible. Since I have two kids and one of them goes to school it just feels that he brings home every kind of germs and diseases that he gets from the other students in school. And I am pretty sure every person that is reading this that is a parent or has to deal with children in a daily basis can agree with me here. Today though I feel a whole lot better after completely knocked myself out last night with cold and flu medication, and actually got a great night's sleep. So I am going to count last night as my off day, and do the workout that I was supposed to do then, I will do it tonight.
Since I know I will be doing P90X for the long haul, and other similar workout programs after I get done. I have been looking for some support of any kind that will help me to undertake this journey. So far I have found one truly inspirational blog about a man who is attempting his P90X journey for a second time, and how he helps himself focus on the task.
Even though he did his journey about a year ago, and documented his journey fully with pictures, videos, and his daily blog I can still find inspiration from his site. I have been reading his blog from the beginning towards the end and following along side by side as to where I am currently at. This perspective makes me feel like we are doing the same journey at the same time. I know it sounds silly, but it works for me and that is all that matter, right?
This morning as I was reading his blog I got to the point where he introduces this video.
After watching this video makes me want to invest on a Magic Bullet Blender and start making my own whey protein shakes. So my Amazon.com wish list is slowly growing larger and larger as I continue to do research and seek support.
Yesterday I also joined up for a meet up group in the Northern Virginia and DC area that has some hiking events during the week especially on Mondays and Tuesday, which are my days off. This is something that makes me very excited because I really want to see how I do hiking with company, not to mention that I want to get a lot more experience under my belt before I continue attempting solo hikes.
Since I know I will be doing P90X for the long haul, and other similar workout programs after I get done. I have been looking for some support of any kind that will help me to undertake this journey. So far I have found one truly inspirational blog about a man who is attempting his P90X journey for a second time, and how he helps himself focus on the task.
Even though he did his journey about a year ago, and documented his journey fully with pictures, videos, and his daily blog I can still find inspiration from his site. I have been reading his blog from the beginning towards the end and following along side by side as to where I am currently at. This perspective makes me feel like we are doing the same journey at the same time. I know it sounds silly, but it works for me and that is all that matter, right?
This morning as I was reading his blog I got to the point where he introduces this video.
After watching this video makes me want to invest on a Magic Bullet Blender and start making my own whey protein shakes. So my Amazon.com wish list is slowly growing larger and larger as I continue to do research and seek support.
Yesterday I also joined up for a meet up group in the Northern Virginia and DC area that has some hiking events during the week especially on Mondays and Tuesday, which are my days off. This is something that makes me very excited because I really want to see how I do hiking with company, not to mention that I want to get a lot more experience under my belt before I continue attempting solo hikes.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Moving Forward
Last night I was able to stick with the Yoga X program all the way through. By the end of the pose section of the video I was ready to call it quits, but I am glad that I stuck with it. That was the toughest and most challenging workout program in P90X so far! My body is very sore from the workout, but I do feel a lot more grounded and I want to attribute that to the Yoga. I really want to be able to do this workout in its proper fashion from start to finish. Can't wait to see how I do at the end of the 90 days.
Tonight I have Legs & Back, and Ab Ripper X. Last week my calves were hurting for a couple of days afterwards, so I am expecting the same type of results tonight. I will let you all know my results tomorrow.
Tonight I have Legs & Back, and Ab Ripper X. Last week my calves were hurting for a couple of days afterwards, so I am expecting the same type of results tonight. I will let you all know my results tomorrow.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
I really believe that Murphy does not want me to go hiking
So my weekend has come and gone, and now I am back to the working grind. I do not believe I have said this before, but my weekends are Monday and Tuesday every week. Hence why I did not post in the last two days. I try to spend as much time with my family as I can, and up until recently I am planning on trying to make my Tuesdays my hiking day.
On Sunday night I did the Chest & Back, and Ab Ripper X workout from P90X. I hit that workout as hard as I could and I am still feeling the effects of it even now three days later. I am so glad that I have the P90X pull up bar, because trying to do pull downs with bands is not fun in my opinion. Currently debating if I should invest on these dumbbells, because I can already tell that I will not be getting any more use out of the bands for these workouts in a few more weeks. But getting the dumbbells might also mean for me to get the stand for them, because lifting 90 lbs to move them all the time might be to much for my body especially after I am all sore and tired from a workout.
Then on Monday I had to do plyometrics again, and it kicked my ass. I have some pretty good leg muscles, and this is mostly because of my previous high school sports, and military training. But the combination of not working out my body in this manner for such a long time, and the added effect that this is a P90X workout my body felt like jello when I got done. It took close to half an hour for my body to be somewhat recuperated from the workout, but you know what I loved every single second of it.
Last night I did some Shoulders & Arms, and Ab Ripper X workout, and I think the workout went great. Tried to perform every single exercise with the best form possible, and I am feeling it now. But like on Sunday I can already tell that in a few weeks the bands are not going to cut it, and I will be forced to invest on dumbbells in order to maximize my workout potential.
Tonight I have what I consider the hardest workout for me, Yoga X. In week 1 I was not able to finish my workout in full. The farthest I got into the workout was about 40 minutes in, and by that time I was out of breath and every single move that I was attempting was causing some weird pains that did not feel right. In order to avoid any injuries I decided to stop where I was, and to tackle the workout program on the next round. So very much looking forward to the workout tonight, because if I can complete it successfully, then that means that I have improved myself since last week.
Now to Hiking
Last time I talked about my plans to go hiking my new partner and I were going to be meeting at the Great Falls Park. I did not contact my partner till Monday night when I e-mailed her to see if she was still game for Tuesday. She answered that we were still on for it, but she asked if we could change locations to Colvin Run Mill Park, and I was ok with changing. A couple of emails later she asks if we could change the location again to Claude Moore Park, and I said that I was totally down to going there also.
Now on Tuesday morning when I was getting ready to head up towards the park my son lets me know that his ear is hurting. I proceed to checking him and when I touched him he was hot to touch. There was no choice in the matter, I had to take my son to the doctor. So now I have I to cancel on my new partner, before we even go on our first hiking trip. And the first thing I think is "Murphy really does not want me to hike this week!". I sure hope that I can get something set up for next week, and that I will be able to go.
On Sunday night I did the Chest & Back, and Ab Ripper X workout from P90X. I hit that workout as hard as I could and I am still feeling the effects of it even now three days later. I am so glad that I have the P90X pull up bar, because trying to do pull downs with bands is not fun in my opinion. Currently debating if I should invest on these dumbbells, because I can already tell that I will not be getting any more use out of the bands for these workouts in a few more weeks. But getting the dumbbells might also mean for me to get the stand for them, because lifting 90 lbs to move them all the time might be to much for my body especially after I am all sore and tired from a workout.
Then on Monday I had to do plyometrics again, and it kicked my ass. I have some pretty good leg muscles, and this is mostly because of my previous high school sports, and military training. But the combination of not working out my body in this manner for such a long time, and the added effect that this is a P90X workout my body felt like jello when I got done. It took close to half an hour for my body to be somewhat recuperated from the workout, but you know what I loved every single second of it.
Last night I did some Shoulders & Arms, and Ab Ripper X workout, and I think the workout went great. Tried to perform every single exercise with the best form possible, and I am feeling it now. But like on Sunday I can already tell that in a few weeks the bands are not going to cut it, and I will be forced to invest on dumbbells in order to maximize my workout potential.
Tonight I have what I consider the hardest workout for me, Yoga X. In week 1 I was not able to finish my workout in full. The farthest I got into the workout was about 40 minutes in, and by that time I was out of breath and every single move that I was attempting was causing some weird pains that did not feel right. In order to avoid any injuries I decided to stop where I was, and to tackle the workout program on the next round. So very much looking forward to the workout tonight, because if I can complete it successfully, then that means that I have improved myself since last week.
Now to Hiking
Last time I talked about my plans to go hiking my new partner and I were going to be meeting at the Great Falls Park. I did not contact my partner till Monday night when I e-mailed her to see if she was still game for Tuesday. She answered that we were still on for it, but she asked if we could change locations to Colvin Run Mill Park, and I was ok with changing. A couple of emails later she asks if we could change the location again to Claude Moore Park, and I said that I was totally down to going there also.
Now on Tuesday morning when I was getting ready to head up towards the park my son lets me know that his ear is hurting. I proceed to checking him and when I touched him he was hot to touch. There was no choice in the matter, I had to take my son to the doctor. So now I have I to cancel on my new partner, before we even go on our first hiking trip. And the first thing I think is "Murphy really does not want me to hike this week!". I sure hope that I can get something set up for next week, and that I will be able to go.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Super Bowl Sunday
Like the title indicates today is Super Bowl Sunday and I am at work. I work every single weekend, so I am used to it and I still get to see the game at work.
Now to more important things. The stretch last night is exactly what my body needed and I feel great to day. Every now and then a sore spot on my calves act up, but I don't let it drag me down. I think this first week of P90X was a success. I completed all the scheduled workouts and I maintained to the nutritional plan. My feelings at the moment are on the satisfied side of the spectrum, and a little on the pride side.
Tonight I have Chest & Back, and Ab Ripper X. I can't slack off on this workout, and I will definitely push myself as much as I can. I really can't wait to see the results on my body around the 30 day mark.
Have a good day all, and enjoy the Super Bowl game and the so far amusing commercials.
Now to more important things. The stretch last night is exactly what my body needed and I feel great to day. Every now and then a sore spot on my calves act up, but I don't let it drag me down. I think this first week of P90X was a success. I completed all the scheduled workouts and I maintained to the nutritional plan. My feelings at the moment are on the satisfied side of the spectrum, and a little on the pride side.
Tonight I have Chest & Back, and Ab Ripper X. I can't slack off on this workout, and I will definitely push myself as much as I can. I really can't wait to see the results on my body around the 30 day mark.
Have a good day all, and enjoy the Super Bowl game and the so far amusing commercials.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
I spoke to soon
Yesterday I said that my body is no longer sore and that I was feeling extremely well for my first week of P90X, but that is not the case today as my whole body is sore to the point that I can't barely walk. My guess is that my body was able to function properly yesterday, and that the workout's intended effect took just one more day. Going by the schedule I have to do Stretch X when I get home tonight, and I am definitely looking forward to those stretches.
On the nutrition side of things I think my body is getting used to the change of food pretty well. A couple of years ago I did the Atkin's diet on the hardcore side very effectively for about six months, so the stage 1 of the P90X nutrition plan is very similar to the Atkin's diet. I am however, running low on food and might have to go shopping again either tonight or tomorrow. I think I am going to be shooting for tomorrow, because it gives me today to prepare a very thorough shopping list.
Anybody care to recommend some good high protein, low carb recipe?
On the nutrition side of things I think my body is getting used to the change of food pretty well. A couple of years ago I did the Atkin's diet on the hardcore side very effectively for about six months, so the stage 1 of the P90X nutrition plan is very similar to the Atkin's diet. I am however, running low on food and might have to go shopping again either tonight or tomorrow. I think I am going to be shooting for tomorrow, because it gives me today to prepare a very thorough shopping list.
Anybody care to recommend some good high protein, low carb recipe?
Friday, February 3, 2012
No longer sore
Sleep is good...
Today is day six since I started the P90X program. Last night I was able to complete the workout program that I was supposed to do earlier that morning, but this caused me to be done with everything by 1:30 AM. This is way past the time that I want to go to bed, 11 PM, and the amount of sleep that I would get would be about three hours maximum if I do decide to get up at 5 AM for today's workout. I did not get up at 5 AM this morning, and because of that I was able to get up well refreshed. There is an added plus from me staying in bed this morning, and that is that I am no longer sore from this strenuous first week of working out. So going by how my body is currently feeling, I have decided that I will be doing my workouts at night before bed and sleeping for as long as I can in the mornings.
On the hiking front
I have been in correspondence with a potential hiking partner. This is potentially amazing news for me, because this means that once we feel like it we can start tackling tougher hikes or even hikes that take a few days. I will be meeting this new hiking partner next Tuesday as we get to know each other and hike in the Great Falls National Park. Really looking forward to going to this national park because of the history and sights that it contains. Very Excited.
Today is day six since I started the P90X program. Last night I was able to complete the workout program that I was supposed to do earlier that morning, but this caused me to be done with everything by 1:30 AM. This is way past the time that I want to go to bed, 11 PM, and the amount of sleep that I would get would be about three hours maximum if I do decide to get up at 5 AM for today's workout. I did not get up at 5 AM this morning, and because of that I was able to get up well refreshed. There is an added plus from me staying in bed this morning, and that is that I am no longer sore from this strenuous first week of working out. So going by how my body is currently feeling, I have decided that I will be doing my workouts at night before bed and sleeping for as long as I can in the mornings.
On the hiking front
I have been in correspondence with a potential hiking partner. This is potentially amazing news for me, because this means that once we feel like it we can start tackling tougher hikes or even hikes that take a few days. I will be meeting this new hiking partner next Tuesday as we get to know each other and hike in the Great Falls National Park. Really looking forward to going to this national park because of the history and sights that it contains. Very Excited.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Murphy Strikes Again
When I went to bed last night I had laid out a plan on how I was going to be tackling the obstacles for the upcoming day. My plans were to go to bed earlier than normal, about 11 PM from the normal 1 or 2 AM, and start getting up at 5 AM to start my P90X workout for the day. Since Sunday I have been getting up at around 6 AM to do my workout. After my workout I would get my oldest son ready for school and watch my younger son for the rest of the morning. This way it would allow my wife to catch on some much needed sleep before she starts her day of being super mom while I am at work.
I suppose that I have to mention that I currently work on the swings shift, so my work hours are from 2 PM to 10 PM. Hence why I am always glad to watch my children in the mornings, because it is the only time of the day that I can spend some quality time with them.
This morning when my alarm went off in order to get me up I automatically hit the snooze button and got up at around 5:10 AM. I got dressed in a hurry and began my P90X workout, which today happens to be Legs & Back and Ab Ripper X, which normally take about an hour and fifteen minutes. Everything was going according to plan up till around 5:40 AM when I start hearing the pitter patter of small footsteps up stairs. My kids were awake and they were heading towards my bedroom to jump, cuddle, or play with my wife's hair. Either of those options was not a good one because I wanted her to sleep. So I proceeded to pause my workout, try to wipe some of my sweat up, and change into some dry clothes. As I am changing clothes I send a few curses toward Murphy for making a mockery of my plans, but also somewhat grateful because it grants me a few more hours to spend with my kids.
So I still plan on completing my workout when I get home, but not really looking forward to going to bed so early. Changing your sleeping schedule can be a huge pain, but that is life.
Where to go hiking to next?
Doing some research on some potential places to go hiking next Tuesday, which is the closest available day for me to go. I am currently looking for some short hikes, but grant some amazing views. This time of the year we have the clearest skies, with no haze, and least amount of wildlife about. So I definitely trying to take advantage of this as I plan these hikes.
One of the hikes that is currently looking like a possibility is the Stony Man Mountain Hike in the Shenandoah National Park. This one is looking really appealing to me because it is only an hour drive for me, and the peak is the second highest point in Shenandoah. It also has a very interesting geocache, and that is definitely a huge plus for me.
Anybody have any ideas?
Looking for a hiking partner
I am currently looking for a hiking partner. At the moment I am just doing some easy, short day hikes. But eventually I want to be able to 2-3 day hikes. My ultimate goal is to hike the whole Appalachian Trial in one go. I hear it normaly takes a week.
I suppose that I have to mention that I currently work on the swings shift, so my work hours are from 2 PM to 10 PM. Hence why I am always glad to watch my children in the mornings, because it is the only time of the day that I can spend some quality time with them.
This morning when my alarm went off in order to get me up I automatically hit the snooze button and got up at around 5:10 AM. I got dressed in a hurry and began my P90X workout, which today happens to be Legs & Back and Ab Ripper X, which normally take about an hour and fifteen minutes. Everything was going according to plan up till around 5:40 AM when I start hearing the pitter patter of small footsteps up stairs. My kids were awake and they were heading towards my bedroom to jump, cuddle, or play with my wife's hair. Either of those options was not a good one because I wanted her to sleep. So I proceeded to pause my workout, try to wipe some of my sweat up, and change into some dry clothes. As I am changing clothes I send a few curses toward Murphy for making a mockery of my plans, but also somewhat grateful because it grants me a few more hours to spend with my kids.
So I still plan on completing my workout when I get home, but not really looking forward to going to bed so early. Changing your sleeping schedule can be a huge pain, but that is life.
Where to go hiking to next?
Doing some research on some potential places to go hiking next Tuesday, which is the closest available day for me to go. I am currently looking for some short hikes, but grant some amazing views. This time of the year we have the clearest skies, with no haze, and least amount of wildlife about. So I definitely trying to take advantage of this as I plan these hikes.
One of the hikes that is currently looking like a possibility is the Stony Man Mountain Hike in the Shenandoah National Park. This one is looking really appealing to me because it is only an hour drive for me, and the peak is the second highest point in Shenandoah. It also has a very interesting geocache, and that is definitely a huge plus for me.
Anybody have any ideas?
Looking for a hiking partner
I am currently looking for a hiking partner. At the moment I am just doing some easy, short day hikes. But eventually I want to be able to 2-3 day hikes. My ultimate goal is to hike the whole Appalachian Trial in one go. I hear it normaly takes a week.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Big Schloss
I don't feel like editing that very long post, but I felt that I needed to add that I also started to do geocaching. I have heard about it before, but was not to interested in the idea till I started doing research on hiking again. I did the geocache for Big Schloss and it was very fun trying to find it. I had printed out the hint and going by the details of the previous people that were there before it allowed me to find the cache. It was very fun.
A new adventure!
My life has been needing some changes recently and because of this I decided to chronicle my life. These events in my life that caused me to commit to some changes will not be discussed about at this time. Maybe later when things are going are finally going my way, and it becomes a distant memory.
The changes that I decided to undertake are mostly of the physical and soul searching type. On the physical part is that I want to get fit again. I have truly enjoyed my life as the fat guy these last few years, mostly because of all the delicious food that gave me my great figure. But like all things in life it must come to an end. I want to regain my old fit body from when I was in high school and NAVY years. So in order to do this I have decided to give P90X a full hearted try. It needs to be confessed that my wife and I tried P90X once before and we were fully committed for about a month. In that month we had outstanding results, but we were not able to follow through with the program because life got in the way. To many commitments and not enough time kind of thing.
I am currently on day four of the P90X program and I have already lost 5 pounds since I started. My starting weight was of 280.5 lbs and my current weight loss goal is 200 lbs. That was my original weight when I was a teenager playing baseball and football.
But I actually have something that I did not have two years ago when I first attempted the program. And that something is in the form of what will I do with my newly sculpted figure once I attain it. The answer to that question is that I want to go back to one of my all time favorite pastimes; hiking. I have been hiking all my life and first memory of doing so was hiking on my parents 9 acre property in Puerto Rico where I grew up. One of my fondest memories is hiking along all the trails that been carved through El Yunque , which is the ONLY rainforest that US has in its possession, and probably the most beautiful place that I have ever visited in my life.
Hiking has been a great source for inspiration and a soul searching tool over years. Every time that I have made a major decision in my life, or needed to think through a very dificult problem I would go hiking in order to find it. I really don't know what it is about hiking, but it helps clear my head of all the baggage that life throws at you and presents you with answers that seem to be so simple, but were being so difficult to attain.
This may sound like a bunch of jiberrish to some of you reading this, but to me it is the greatest feeling in the world when you set out with a heavy heart or mind into nature, and battle your inner demons or whatever problems you brought with you. And then being there in nature, where it is just you, and you have to struggle, fight through the pain, and keep moving toward the top of the mountain. The air is getting thinner, your muscles are aching, your pack is getting heavier, your breathing more labored, but youkeep pushing along. And then you are finally rewarded with reaching the top. What an amazing sight! You look back at the path you have just taken and you feel proud of yourself, because you have just conquered this mountain.
And guess what? You are no longer bothered, weighted down, or troubled from any of the baggage that you brought with you to the mountain. They all fell of your shoulders as you continued your journey up that mountain. And now all those problems seem so small after conquering a mountain, and you are ready to head down the mountain to face reality full of confidence and belief in yourself. To me that is what hiking does for me.
Yesterday, Tuesday January 31, 2012, I did my first hike in many years. After browsing the internet, going through forums, and using the all powerful Google search engine I decided to hike Big Schloss in the George Washington Forest in northwestern Virginia and eastern West Virginia. While I was looking for information on Big Schloss I ran accross a blog from a couple that have been hiking all over the state of Virginia and have keeping record of their adventures for the world to see. I think now on I will be using their blog as a reference for all my future hiking endeavours.
The Hike
I got to the Wolf Gap Campgrounds around 9:30 AM and after I got all my things together I decided to start my climb up the mountain.
I took my first stop of the trip to take pictures of all the signs that had reference to the park and the trail that I was going to be hiking up on. Was following the orange blaze for the Mill Mountain trail for the first bit of the trail. About 0.5 up the trail I took my first set of pictures of the view.
At 0.7 on the trail I came up the second view for another set of pictures.
Around 1.5 into the trail I finally came up to the white blaze trail for the Big Schloss trail.
When I was getting close to the 2.2 mile mark I got to the bridge that would allow me to cross into the Big Schloss peak.
And once I got to the peak the time was 11:25 AM. Just in time for lunch, teriyaki beef jerky. I took a picture while I was at the top. Not a great picture and as you can see that is as far as my fear of heights would allow me to get to the edge. I did not want my vertigo to start acting up when I was trying to catch my breath and get a little energy back from my lunch.
It did not take long at all to get back to my car. At around 12:50 PM I reached my car and proceeded to drive home. Not a bad first hike, and believe me I felt great!
The changes that I decided to undertake are mostly of the physical and soul searching type. On the physical part is that I want to get fit again. I have truly enjoyed my life as the fat guy these last few years, mostly because of all the delicious food that gave me my great figure. But like all things in life it must come to an end. I want to regain my old fit body from when I was in high school and NAVY years. So in order to do this I have decided to give P90X a full hearted try. It needs to be confessed that my wife and I tried P90X once before and we were fully committed for about a month. In that month we had outstanding results, but we were not able to follow through with the program because life got in the way. To many commitments and not enough time kind of thing.
I am currently on day four of the P90X program and I have already lost 5 pounds since I started. My starting weight was of 280.5 lbs and my current weight loss goal is 200 lbs. That was my original weight when I was a teenager playing baseball and football.
But I actually have something that I did not have two years ago when I first attempted the program. And that something is in the form of what will I do with my newly sculpted figure once I attain it. The answer to that question is that I want to go back to one of my all time favorite pastimes; hiking. I have been hiking all my life and first memory of doing so was hiking on my parents 9 acre property in Puerto Rico where I grew up. One of my fondest memories is hiking along all the trails that been carved through El Yunque , which is the ONLY rainforest that US has in its possession, and probably the most beautiful place that I have ever visited in my life.
Hiking has been a great source for inspiration and a soul searching tool over years. Every time that I have made a major decision in my life, or needed to think through a very dificult problem I would go hiking in order to find it. I really don't know what it is about hiking, but it helps clear my head of all the baggage that life throws at you and presents you with answers that seem to be so simple, but were being so difficult to attain.
This may sound like a bunch of jiberrish to some of you reading this, but to me it is the greatest feeling in the world when you set out with a heavy heart or mind into nature, and battle your inner demons or whatever problems you brought with you. And then being there in nature, where it is just you, and you have to struggle, fight through the pain, and keep moving toward the top of the mountain. The air is getting thinner, your muscles are aching, your pack is getting heavier, your breathing more labored, but youkeep pushing along. And then you are finally rewarded with reaching the top. What an amazing sight! You look back at the path you have just taken and you feel proud of yourself, because you have just conquered this mountain.
And guess what? You are no longer bothered, weighted down, or troubled from any of the baggage that you brought with you to the mountain. They all fell of your shoulders as you continued your journey up that mountain. And now all those problems seem so small after conquering a mountain, and you are ready to head down the mountain to face reality full of confidence and belief in yourself. To me that is what hiking does for me.
Yesterday, Tuesday January 31, 2012, I did my first hike in many years. After browsing the internet, going through forums, and using the all powerful Google search engine I decided to hike Big Schloss in the George Washington Forest in northwestern Virginia and eastern West Virginia. While I was looking for information on Big Schloss I ran accross a blog from a couple that have been hiking all over the state of Virginia and have keeping record of their adventures for the world to see. I think now on I will be using their blog as a reference for all my future hiking endeavours.
The Hike
I got to the Wolf Gap Campgrounds around 9:30 AM and after I got all my things together I decided to start my climb up the mountain.
I took my first stop of the trip to take pictures of all the signs that had reference to the park and the trail that I was going to be hiking up on. Was following the orange blaze for the Mill Mountain trail for the first bit of the trail. About 0.5 up the trail I took my first set of pictures of the view.
At 0.7 on the trail I came up the second view for another set of pictures.
Around 1.5 into the trail I finally came up to the white blaze trail for the Big Schloss trail.
When I was getting close to the 2.2 mile mark I got to the bridge that would allow me to cross into the Big Schloss peak.
And once I got to the peak the time was 11:25 AM. Just in time for lunch, teriyaki beef jerky. I took a picture while I was at the top. Not a great picture and as you can see that is as far as my fear of heights would allow me to get to the edge. I did not want my vertigo to start acting up when I was trying to catch my breath and get a little energy back from my lunch.
It did not take long at all to get back to my car. At around 12:50 PM I reached my car and proceeded to drive home. Not a bad first hike, and believe me I felt great!
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